Fender Mustang I and II guitar amplifiers showcasing the FUSE software interface
Fender has long been a leading name in guitar amplification, and their Mustang series has solidified their position in the world of affordable and versatile modeling amps. Building on the success of the G-DEC series, the Fender Mustang 1 Guitar Amp emerges as an incredibly accessible entry point into the world of digital amp modeling. This compact powerhouse delivers a wide array of amp tones and effects, making it an ideal choice for beginners, practicing musicians, and anyone seeking a convenient and great-sounding practice amplifier. The Mustang 1 and its slightly larger sibling, the Mustang 2, offer a user-friendly approach, combining modeled amp sounds with high-quality effects and extensive editing capabilities via computer connectivity.
Fender Mustang Series: A Versatile Duo
The Mustang series features two main models: the Mustang 1 and the Mustang 2. The Fender Mustang 1 guitar amp is the more compact and lower-wattage option, equipped with an 8-inch speaker and delivering 20 watts of power. Its lightweight design makes it exceptionally portable, perfectly suited for bedroom practice sessions, one-on-one guitar lessons, or casual jams with another guitarist. Stepping up, the Mustang 2 boasts a 12-inch speaker and 40 watts of power. While offering more volume and a fuller sound, it remains remarkably lightweight for a 40-watt combo amp, making it capable of holding its own in band rehearsals and smaller gigs. Beyond the differences in power and speaker size, both the Mustang 1 and Mustang 2 share an identical set of features and controls, providing a consistent user experience across the series.
Navigating the Top Panel: Analog Simplicity Meets Digital Power
Despite being based on advanced modeling technology, the Fender Mustang 1 guitar amp presents a welcoming and familiar control layout reminiscent of classic analog combo amps. Starting from the left side of the top panel, you’ll find two input jacks: one for your guitar and another for an optional footswitch. This footswitch adds convenient channel-switching functionality, allowing for on-the-fly preset changes. Next, a set of five straightforward knobs provides essential tonal control: Gain, to adjust the preamp overdrive; Volume, to manage the level of individual presets; Treble, to shape the high frequencies; Bass, for low-end control; and Master, which governs the overall amp volume independently of presets. Notably, the settings of the first four knobs (Gain, Volume, Treble, and Bass) are savable as part of each preset, offering precise tonal recall, while the Master knob functions as a global volume control.
Moving along the panel, you encounter eight LEDs and corresponding labels that identify the selected amp model. A rotary selector knob allows you to easily scroll through the available presets. Above this section are the Save and Exit buttons, crucial for storing any modifications you make to a preset. A clever feature is the Save button illuminating in red whenever you adjust any of the front-panel controls after selecting a preset, visually indicating that you’ve made changes. Following the Preset knob are dedicated selectors for Modulation and Delay/Reverb effects. The Mustang 1 offers an impressive selection of 12 Modulation effects, including tremolo, Vibratone, flanger, chorus, and more, alongside 12 Delay/Reverb options, providing a wide palette of sonic textures.
Above the Delay/Reverb knob is the Tap Tempo button, which also doubles as a tuner activation switch when held down. On the far right side of the panel, you’ll find an aux-in jack for connecting media players, a headphone output for silent practice, a USB port for computer connectivity, and the power switch. This comprehensive yet intuitive layout ensures that even beginners can quickly get to grips with the Fender Mustang 1 guitar amp.
Presets: A World of Tones at Your Fingertips
The core of the Mustang’s versatility lies in its extensive collection of modeled amp types. The Fender Mustang 1 guitar amp comes loaded with 24 onboard presets, organized into eight selectable slots, each offering three distinct “states” or variations of the amp’s tone, indicated by LED colors (amber, green, red). While you have the freedom to load any sound into the amp via the Fender FUSE software (discussed later), the initial factory presets offer a fantastic starting point, covering a wide range of iconic amp tones. These include emulations of classic amps like the ’57 Deluxe, ’59 Bassman, ’65 Twin Reverb, along with British-style amps from the ’60s and ’80s, American ’90s sounds, and even high-gain options like the Super-Sonic and Metal 2000.
Navigating these presets is incredibly intuitive. Once you become familiar with the knob layout, switching between any two desired tones—for example, from a clean ’65 Twin Reverb green setting to a high-gain American ’90s red setting—can be done almost instantaneously. For players who require even faster preset switching during live performances, Fender offers an optional footswitch. This footswitch can be assigned to toggle between any two presets, and features a two-color status LED to clearly indicate which preset is currently active. Assigning presets to the footswitch is a straightforward process, further enhancing the amp’s usability.
Unleashing Deeper Potential with Fender FUSE Software
To truly unlock the full potential of the Fender Mustang 1 guitar amp, Fender provides its powerful Fender FUSE software application. This software, compatible with both PC and Mac, connects to the amp via the included USB cable and opens up a world of advanced editing, preset management, and expanded sonic possibilities. The Fender FUSE interface is visually appealing and user-friendly, featuring colorful and realistic renderings of classic and modern amp front panels, stompbox effects, and studio processors that the Mustang emulates.
Beyond its aesthetic appeal, Fender FUSE allows you to access parameters that are not available directly on the amp’s front panel. For instance, within the effects section, you can delve into advanced parameters of effects like the Stereo Tape Delay, adjusting settings such as Delay Time, Feedback, Flutter, and Stereo Separation. Furthermore, Fender FUSE expands the amp’s sonic palette with additional amp models, including sought-after Fender classics like the ’57 Champ and ’65 Princeton, and extra effects such as Pitch Shifter and Touch Wah, all with comprehensive computer-based editing capabilities.
In addition to its deep editing features, Fender FUSE serves as a comprehensive preset librarian. It allows you to create and store a virtually unlimited number of custom setups, far beyond the 24 onboard presets. These custom presets can be easily recalled and loaded into the Fender Mustang 1 guitar amp, enabling you to tailor the amp to specific musical styles or performance needs. You could, for example, create a custom bank of presets dedicated to blues tones, metal sounds, rock riffs, or any other genre you desire. The Mustang 1 also ships with valuable bonus software: Ableton 8 Live Lite Fender edition for multitrack recording and IK Multimedia AmpliTube Fender for even more software-based amp and effects simulations. The amp’s USB port also functions as a high-quality recording output, making it easy to capture your tones directly to your computer using the provided USB cable.
Fender Mustang 1: The Verdict – Your Ideal Practice Amp?
One of the most compelling aspects of the Fender Mustang 1 guitar amp is its immediate usability. With a quick glance at the front panel and a simple turn of a knob, you can dial in a vast range of tones, from pristine acoustic-like cleans to vintage blues grit and aggressive modern metal mayhem. Fine-tuning your sound with the Gain and Tone controls and adding effects is equally intuitive, allowing you to achieve your desired tone in seconds. This ease of use, combined with the deep editing capabilities of Fender FUSE, makes the Mustang 1 not just a fantastic practice amp for instant gratification, but also a powerful tone-shaping tool for crafting meticulously detailed and personalized sounds.
The Fender Mustang 1 guitar amp stands out as an exceptional value proposition for guitarists of all levels, especially beginners and those seeking a versatile and portable practice amplifier. Its combination of authentic amp modeling, comprehensive effects, user-friendly interface, and powerful Fender FUSE software makes it a top contender in its class. If you’re looking for an affordable, great-sounding, and feature-rich practice amp, the Fender Mustang 1 is definitely worth checking out.
Source: – Jon Chappell (Gear-Vault.com)
